Kirkland returns to the University of Charleston as the Head Football Coach for his tenth season at UC. Starting 2021 Fall campaign in the previous season UC is coming off winning the Southern division of the Mountain East Conference. The Golden Eagles continue to be in competition each season for a Mountain East Conference Championship. During Kirkland’s previous seasons at UC, they have accumulated over 62 wins and on five separate occasions have been ranked in the top 25 in the country. Under Kirkland’s guidance the UC Football Program also has had the number one ranked offense and the number one ranked defense in the conference.
The 2015 season UC finished up 10-1 earning a NCAA playoff berth and finished the regular season 15th in the nation. In 2012, the UC defense finished up its season ranked number two in the country in total defense. That same year saw Pat Kirkland receive the Coach of the Year Award in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The University of Charleston Football program is based on team, accountability, and work ethic. The Golden Eagles have created a reputation for playing with tremendous effort and physicality.
The accolades for those years include over 36 First-Team All-Conference selections, all -Region / all-American selections, as well as, having the Players of the Year in the Conference on both Offense, and Defense. Recently, UC has had over 10 separate players earn spots in NFL camps, including defensive end John Cominsky who was drafted in the fourth round by the Atlanta Falcons and wide receiver Michael Strachan who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. Prior to UC, Kirkland was on the coaching staff at West Virginia University for five seasons. Throughout that time WVU won a Conference Championship and four out of five bowl games.
The majority of Kirkland’s coaching responsibilities were on the defensive side of the ball including coaching the defensive secondary in a victory over Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and was on the offensive side coaching the Fullbacks / Tight Ends while the Mountaineers appearance in the Gator Bowl against Florida State. Pat Kirkland was also the Director of Recruiting at WVU. His time as the Director of Recruiting carried over as the University of Charleston’s roster is diverse geographically with over 14 different states represented and three different countries. Before his stop in Morgantown, Kirkland coached at Glenville State from 2000-2005. He held the title of Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator. Kirkland’s defense was consistently ranked in the tops of the conference and in his final season was ranked number one in the conference and eighth nationally, holding opponents to under 15 points per game. “Coach Kirkland has excelled as an NCAA Division I coach, but he also has extensive experience coaching in the conference, which will benefit our student athletes, as we continue to compete in the Mountain East Conference.”
· Dr. Bren Stevens (University of Charleston Athletic Director)
Kirkland, a native of Akron, Ohio also spent two years as the secondary coach at Muskingum University. He had four all-conference players in the secondary over the
two-year stint. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Muskingum College where he was a First-Team All-Conference defensive back, as well as leading the conference in interceptions.
